Young designer’s cyborg theme to be unveiled at London Fashion Week

THEY are fashion designs that are out of this world. Capital-based fashion designer Kayleigh MacBeth came up with her garments after basing them around the adventures of a futuristic human-robot hybrid. And she is now set to show them off at London Fashion Week.

The 22-year-old, who recently graduated from the Fashion Design for Industry course at Heriot-Watt University, has been selected for the Fashions Finest show, which is renowned for discovering new talent and attracts fashionistas from across the globe.

Kayleigh MacBeth

Kayleigh, who splits her time between her mother’s home in Shotts and her boyfriend’s home in Pilton, says the character of Alba, a robot from the year 2097 with a design glitch causing her to develop human feelings, was born from a lifetime obsession with space and the future.

She said: “I believe that over the next few decades robots will start to look more like humans, while humans will become more like robots, utilising bionic technology to better themselves physically. The way I design clothes reflects this new level of adaptability – for example, cowl necks that turn into hoods and sleeves that turn into snoods. I’m also very interested in heat-reactive fabrics that change colour depending on body temperature.”

While Kayleigh admits she doubts you’d see many people wearing some of her more outlandish designs walking down Princes Street, she feels it’s important to go against the mainstream.

She explained: “These are clothes for women who want to look different and have the confidence to carry off something so far away from more mass-produced looks. I’ve always loved designers like Alexander McQueen, Comme des Garçons and Christopher Kane, because they see fashion as more than just clothes – it’s art.

A design by Kayleigh MacBeth

“I’m so thrilled to have been asked to take part in London Fashion Week, it really is an honour. I hope it will help show people that there’s more to Scottish fashion than tartan.”

Deborah St. Louis, CEO of Fashion’s Finest, said: “The collection Kayleigh MacBeth sent for review to Fashions Finest is very inspiring and stood out for both creativity and versatility.